“It’ll take a day. That’s all,” Cheyenne insisted. “You can ride out after dark. You can’t send the telegram from Bear Claw Pass nor Casper. Too many people know what’s gone on around here. The will, the rustling, the name of my ranch, and they may remember your involvement in all of it, Rachel. Word could get out. It could reach Hawkins, and that would put Molly and Wyatt in danger. You’ll have to use White Rock Station, that’s the next place east that you can send a telegram. You can reach it by riding overnight. If you send the wire in the morning, include a notice to expect a letter explaining everything in detail. Mail travels fast now, so it should reach your agency in a matter of days. The wire will give them enough information to be ready to move when details arrive. Your agent can get ready to travel, unless they have agents in Tennessee—”

Rachel shook her head. “I’ve never heard we had agents that far south, but I’m not sure. There may be other private investigating agencies we can work with. But even if no agents are there, they will have some closer to Tennessee than Chicago.”

With a nod of satisfaction, Cheyenne said, “Good. An agent will have time to pack and prepare to travel as soon as the letter arrives.”

“If Wyatt comes running on that day, saying they have what they need to arrest Hawkins, and I’m not here—”

“This can wait, Cheyenne.” Kevin would not cooperate. “There’s no rush to settle the estate.”

“There’d be no rush to set the investigation in motion before winter crashes down, if I could just go to Bear Claw Pass,” Rachel said. “But until we have evidence to take to the sheriff about Clovis, I don’t dare trust the telegraph operator not to talk. And in Casper, with Randall Kingston, that lawyer Clovis hired to make sure his will was airtight, living there, I don’t trust him not to hear about it. Any news about the RHR would draw his interest. Word could get back to Hawkins.”

Cheyenne couldn’t believe she’d considered marrying that man. She felt embarrassment creeping every time the memory swept over her. She was fairly dark skinned, so she hoped a blush didn’t show. But she was tired of the back of her neck getting hot.

“So we’ll do it in the spring.” Kevin acted like it was all settled.